The event
Sun Ce Takes Jiangdong
孙策平定江东
Sun Ce, Sun Jian’s eldest son, joined Yuan Shu in 194, and Yuan Shu returned part of his father’s troops to him. Sun Ce then asked for troops to help his uncle Wu Jing pacify Jiangdong, and Yuan Shu’s court memorial gave him a military title. With a small force he crossed the Yangtze — an annotation quoting the Jiang Biao Zhuan dates the crossing and the attack on Liu Yao’s Niuzhu camp to 195 — and defeated Liu Yao’s commanders and allied forces one after another. He drove back Wang Lang’s position and made Kuaiji a center of his authority, entrusting state affairs to Zhang Zhao and military affairs to Zhou Yu; Zhou Yu, his friend since youth, was later given a military command and troops. Yuan Shu repeatedly disappointed him by withholding the appointments and territory he had expected, and the Han court named Sun Ce Marquis of Wu — a Han title, not the later Wu empire. His authority rested on recruitment and family ties, and it did not end all local resistance. In 200 former followers of Xu Gong attacked him near Dantu and he died at twenty-six; before his death he told Sun Quan that appointing capable people and holding Jiangdong were things Sun Quan did better than he, and authority passed to Sun Quan while the territories were still not fully secure.
The people
Who took part
Novel vs history
How the novel retells it
Romance of the Three Kingdoms changes parts of this story. These fact-checks show what the records say instead.
Sources
Historical sources
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Sun Ce joined Yuan Shu, who returned part of his father’s troops to him.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Sun Ce requested troops to help his uncle Wu Jing; Yuan Shu’s court memorial granted a military title.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
With a small force, Sun Ce crossed the river and campaigned through the Jiangdong commanderies.
- Later annotation三国志 · 裴松之注·吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
The Jiang Biao Zhuan, quoted in Pei Songzhi’s annotation, dates Sun Ce’s crossing of the Yangtze and attack on Liu Yao’s Niuzhu camp to the second year of Xingping (195), when he captured its stored grain and weapons.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
The biography describes a series of victories over Liu Yao’s commanders and allied forces.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Sun Ce defeated Wang Lang’s position and made Kuaiji a center of his authority.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
He entrusted state affairs to Zhang Zhao and military affairs to Zhou Yu.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Campaigns against local rivals expanded his authority, but did not end all resistance.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Yuan Shu repeatedly disappointed Sun Ce by withholding expected appointments and control of conquered territory.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
The account records Sun Ce receiving the title Marquis of Wu from the Han court; this title is not the later Wu empire.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
His authority depended on recruitment, family connections, and conflict with entrenched local powers.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Former followers of Xu Gong attacked Sun Ce while he was hunting near Dantu.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Sun Ce died at twenty-six after his wound worsened; the main biography does not endorse later supernatural tales.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书一·孙破虏讨逆传
Before dying, Sun Ce told Sun Quan that he was better at appointing capable people and preserving Jiangdong.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书二·吴主传
When Sun Ce died, authority passed to Sun Quan while he was still young and the territories were not fully secure.
- Historical record三国志 · 吴书九·周瑜、鲁肃、吕蒙传
After Sun Ce returned, he appointed Zhou Yu as a military commander and gave him troops.